He Didn't Have To Be
by WillowsCry
Summary: A seventeen year old Jess moved to Stars Hallow to meet a heartbroken Rory and her baby. How will love pay out for the two of them?
1. Chapter 1

The simplest moments can be the most life changing. Sitting in the hospital waiting room Jess Mariano couldn't help to think about that. His wife was sitting a crossed the room sound asleep covered up with his coat. He thought about that moment when he was seventeen and new in town. That moment when he walked into the diner to see her big blue eyes looking up at him. That moment changed his life forever. Then there was that moment when she introduced him to her little girl. That baby would never remember that moment. But, he held on to it forever. The way she smiled at him as he held her close. That was the moment that he became a father. He would never be genetically linked to that little girl, but she owned his heart forever. Yet, those all faded away as he took in this moment.

The man that was about to become his son-in-law walked towards him. He couldn't exactly say that he was thrilled with the keeper that his baby girl chose. He definitely had trouble getting over the fact that he had gotten her pregnant. Yet, his eyes lit up when he said "It's a very healthy little girl." He was so happy he actually hugged the punk.

"Congratulations." He mumbled.

"She is asking for you. Don't worry I will wake up Mrs. M." Those words caused him to almost run down the hall to room 4427. He had peaked in there before the baby came, but now it felt different as he opened the door. There was his little girl sitting in that bed holding a little pink bundle.

A tear fell down his face as she looked up at him. She had her mother's same big blue eyes and bright smile. "Would you like to hold your granddaughter?" She asked him softly. He just walked closer and looked at the little baby. Before he knew it she was letting him hold her.

"What's her name?" He asked softly as he looked at the child asleep in his arms. He just kept thinking about when he used to hold his little girl like that.

"Lorelai Jessa Gilmore-Banks." She replied.

"We can't let the Lorelai's die out." He replied with a laugh as he looked at the fifth Lorelai in his arms and then at the fourth sitting next to him.

"Never." She replied.

"You did good." He replied as he thought back to that first life changing moment. He let his mind travel back to his first day in this sleepy little town. He couldn't get over how much he wanted to leave this place. If he did he would have missed all of this.


	2. Chapter 2

Nineteen years before…

He stepped off that bus with just a duffel bag in his hand. There stood his Uncle Luke. He was the only person at the bus stop. He looked just like the picture his mother had showed him. Worn out jeans, flannel shirt, baseball cap and all. "Jess." Luke mumbled to him.

"Luke." Jess mumbled back as he looked around the small town square. Coming from New York this place seemed like a sick joke. There were signs up for some stupid fundraiser. It seemed that everyone they passed stopped to wave as they walked the block back to the diner that his uncle owned. The building still had the William's Hardware store that his grandfather Dane's had put up when he bought the building. Luke turned it into a diner after his father died. Inside there where about ten little blue tables with mix match chairs around them and a counter lined with bar stools. But, that wasn't what caught his eyes. It was the hand painted plates that lined one of walls in a bookshelf. They seemed out of place. "What's with the plate's?" Jess asked. Luke opened his mouth to answer, but before he got a chance someone else did.

"They cost fifteen dollars, more if you want a custom job." A soft voice answered from behind them. He turned around to see a short slender young woman standing behind the counter. She had long brown hair that perfectly framed her face. But, what he noticed the most were her bright blue eyes. He could see pain in them so clearly. "Luke I need to be get going. Miss. Kim only would take Ellie for a couple hours." She said as she looked over at the older man. She placed an apron on the table.

"That's fine Rory." He replied before she walked out of the empty diner.

"Who is that?" Jess asked as he watched her disappear down the street.

"Stay away from her." Luke said before he pushed Jess upstairs. The little one room apartment so clearly wasn't going to be enough space, but Jess just kept silent as he dropped his bag on the floor. He walked over to a bookshelf that held a bunch of photos and junk. There were a lot of the girl who left the diner a few minutes before. "I have frosted flakes." Luke said randomly trying to break the silence.

"That's greaaat." Jess replied sourly as he picked up a picture of Rory and an older woman. "Her mother?" Jess questioned as he looked at the picture. Luke just nodded as Jess moved on to the next picture. It was of Rory holding a little baby sitting in the diner. There was a 'Welcome Home' sign in the background.

"I am serious Jess just forget about her." Luke said as he took the picture and returned it to its home. It was hard to forget about her. She was everywhere. Her pictures were all over the apartment and even some rested down in the diner. It wasn't long before Jess decided to take a walk. He ended up just next store walking through the small town market. That's where he saw her again. This time she was pushing a cart with a car seat sitting in it. He saw the little baby from the picture sitting there. It wasn't so small anymore.

"Isn't Momma's little girl such a pretty girl." The soft voice cooed to the child. "Yes, she is." He just leaned up against the aisle as he watched her. "What do you think kid, do we need more cereal?" She asked the baby before picking up a box of generic cheerios. He watched as she walked over to a pile of wicker baskets.

"Rory you know everyone would understand if you didn't make a basket this year." An older man said as he came up behind her. She just smiled at him.

"It's tradition. My mother and me did this since we moved here. I want Ellie to have that." She said as she looked at the child in the cart.

"I am sure tons of people will bid on yours." He replied as he looked at her.

"But, it still won't be the same." She said with a frown. "You know I think I will have to come back later for this." She said as the tears started to run down her face. She reached down and picked up the car seat. He didn't know what got into him, but after watching her run out of the market he walked over to the abandoned cart and pull out the items she had placed in it. He also grabbed the basket that she was admiring before the older man interrupted her.

"She might kick you in the balls for this." The cashier said as he looked at Jess. Jess just shrugged. "She hates handouts." The man said to him before he left the store with the items in hand.

"Luke your mystery girl I am supposed to stay away from ran out without her basket at the market." Jess said as he placed the basket with everything else inside of it on the counter. Luke just looked at it for a moment.

"Take it to her." Luke said as he passed his nephew a piece of paper with an address written on it.

"What happened to stay away from her?" Jess asked.

"She might need this stuff tonight." Luke replied as he pushed the basket towards Jess.

When he walked up to the address he saw the garage door was open. He walked up to see what looked like a pottery workshop. "YOU ASS! WHY DID YOU HAVE TO DO THIS TO US!" He heard her screaming as there was a sound of something smashing over and over. He walked a little farther to see her standing in the side yard tossing plates at a tree. "What do you want?" She asked as she turned around to see Jess standing there. He just held up the basket. She just nodded before heading back into the garage.

"He left you didn't he?" He asked as he followed her. "The baby's father."

"It's not what you think." She replied as she sat down at a small desk against the wall. Jess looked around the room for a moment. "There was an accident." She mumbled. "Semi driver was driving sleep deprived. He flipped and ran right into Tristan. I was six months along then."

"Oh." Jess replied softly as he heard the baby start to cry.

"It wasn't supposed to be this way." She said as she walked towards the house. He waited for a moment unsure if she wanted him to follow her or not, but then she left the door open for him. He walked in the house to see her holding her daughter and walking back and forth. "You want to hold her?" She asked him as she walked over to the cabinet.

"Sure." He said weakly. But, something changed when she placed that little girl in his arms. She was so sweet and innocent. And if it wasn't his place he wanted to protect him. He looked at Rory who was making a bottle.

"She is lactose intolerant. I had to beg Taylor to carry her formula." Rory said as she looked at him. He just nodded as he looked back down at the little girl. "Hey there princess look what Momma's got for you." Rory said as she walked back over bottle in hand. She just took the baby from him and sat down to feed her. He just sat down a crossed from her watching her.

"What's her name?" He asked softly when he realized he couldn't remember.

"Ellie. It's short for Lorelai Elliot." Rory answered as she looked up at him. He just nodded as he watched them. "Luke is probably wondering what happened to you." She said as she looked up at him.

"Yeah I should be getting back. You going to be okay?" He asked as he got up.

"We are fine." She replied softly. "I will pay you back for the groceries tomorrow." She said as she watched him walk to the door. He didn't fight her remembering what the guy at the market told him. As he walked back to the diner all he could think about was the two of them. He was falling in love with Rory and that little girl. When he walked into the diner Luke just looked at him for a moment.

"Ah hell this is why I wanted you to stay away from her." Luke mumbled to him as he walked by.

"I still don't understand the plates." Jess replied before heading up to the apartment.


	3. Chapter 3

When he woke up the next morning there was an envelope with his name written on it lying on the foot of the bed. He opened it up to find thirty dollars and an index card that read: Didn't want to wake you. Promised to pay you back. See you later – Ror. He wasn't sure if this was a good sign or bad one. She cared enough to leave a note, yet she still paid him back. He just walked down the stairs to find Luke running around the diner like a turkey with its head cut off. Then he saw the high chair set up next to the cash register. "Why hello there cutie, where is your mommy?" He asked as he walked over to Ellie.

"At school, which is where you would be if you mother would hurry up and send your records." Luke replied sourly as he walked by him.

"Oh so you are nanny and diner man." Jess replied as he picked up the child.

"I am only watching her because Rory's mother had a meeting." Luke replied. "Don't get attached." Luke said as he looked at Jess who was holding Ellie.

"I was just going to take her upstairs. A busy diner is too dangerous for a little baby don't you think?" Jess asked Luke.

"Her bag is by the stairs." Luke said as he looked at the crowded diner. Jess just walked back towards the steps grabbing the bag on his way up. He found a baby swing in the closet and placed Ellie in that as he looked around the apartment. He was looking at Luke's movie collection when Eliie began to get fussy. He found a box full of video tapes. There was a note on top that said "Happy Father's Day". Luke didn't have any children, but it was clear that he had one teenage girl that was as close as he could get to a daughter. He picked up one of the ones that sat on the top. On the side the word Christmas was written carefully. He put in the tape player before sitting in front of the television with Ellie on his lap.

"_Lorelai do you even know how to use that thing?" He heard Luke's voice say as a picture of Christmas tree appeared on the screen. _

"_Hey just can it diner boy." Lorelai replied as she turned to show Luke sitting on her sofa. _

"_Come on guys its Christmas can't we keep it civil." _Jess smiled at the sound of Rory's voice. _"God my back is killing me."_ _Rory said as she walked a crossed the screen to sit down next to Luke. It was clear that this was last Christmas because he could see her baby bump. _

"_Tristan control your girlfriend, she is ruining my Christmas mood." Lorelai said as she moved to show a blonde guy standing in the doorway. _'So, that is Ellie's father' Jess thought as he looked at the screen.

"_What am I supposed to do? Month five has proved to be the worst for complaining." The guy replied. _'So, this was only a month before the accident' Jess thought to himself. It seemed odd that everything could change that fast. They all seemed so normal here.

"_Love you too!" Rory yelled from the background. _He watched as they opened gifts just being as happy as could be. But, then there was a change in mood.

_Tristan handed a small box to Rory. "Let me guess it's a binky." She said with a laugh as she unwrapped it. There was a blue ring box under the paper. "Tristan." She said softly. _

"_Mary, I love you more than anything in the world. We are about to have a child together, so this seems like the next logical step. Will you marry me?" He asked as he opened the box for him. Tears filled her eyes as she smiled at him. _

"_Of course." She replied softly before she pulled him into a kiss. _Jess could tell how much they loved each other. He would do anything to have Rory look at him like she looked at this Tristan.

"Your daddy was a lucky man." Jess said to Ellie who was smiling up at him. "Here let's watch another. I know it's no Barney, but you seem to like it." Jess said as he reached in the box for another tape. On the side it said: Baby shower/birth.

_The diner was cover in pink balloons and cut outs of baby bottles. There was a banner that said congratulations hanging on the counter. Rory and her mother were sitting at one of the tables. "Rory you could at least smile. Luke went through a lot of trouble to give you this shower." _ Jess could see the pain in Rory's eyes.

"_You know what I am sorry that I can't be happy about this. It's been a two months and everyone expects me to act like nothing has happened." Rory said as she started to cry before storming out of the diner. _

"_Rory!" Lorelai yelled at her daughter. _

"_I will get her." Luke said as he walked past the camera and out the door. _

"_Kirk you can edit that out later, right?" A female voice asked in the background. _

"_I should be able to … maybe." A male voice replied. _Jess laughed for a moment as he looked down at Ellie.

_Luke came busting back in the diner practically ran over to the counter and grabbed something. "Lorelai get out in the truck." He said as he looked towards her. _

"_What's going on?" Lorelai asked as she got up. _

"_The baby is coming." Luke replied as he pushed her towards the door. _

"_But, it's too early." Lorelai said before the screen went blank. Then you saw a nursery. Rows and rows of babies. It zoomed in to one little crib. "There she is my first grandbaby." Lorelai's voice said proudly. _

"_You think Rory is going to have more?" He heard Luke's voice. _

"_We have to see how this goes." Lorelai mumbled. "Isn't she beautiful? Welcome to the world Lorelai Elliot Gilmore." She said softly. _

"Having fun?" Luke asked from behind him. Jess looked back at his uncle.

"How long have you been standing there?" Jess asked as he stopped the video.

"Since we all realized that Kirk can't work a camera." Luke replied as he sat down next to Jess.

"So, she's five months old?" Jess asked as he looked at the baby in his hands.

"As of last week." Luke replied as he looked at the box of tapes sitting there on the floor. "You know I had forgotten about these tapes. Every time I turn around Rory is putting more in here. Originally it was just the ones from when she was little. This one is the best. Ever seen a clown arrested at a six year old's birthday party?" Luke asked as he put in the tape.

"Shouldn't you be in the diner?" Jess asked.

"It's a lull. I have Caesar covering." Luke replied as the tape came on.

"Lorelai needs to work on her commentary." Jess replied with a laugh as Lorelai talked at an empty door way.

It wasn't long before Jess found himself cleaning tables as he kept one eye on the baby sitting in her high chair. It had went from empty too busy in no time at all. "Is she yours?" An older woman asked Jess as he looked over at Ellie after she made a sound.

"Oh no, just babysitting." Jess replied as he came back to reality.

"She sure is a cutie." The woman said as she looked over at Ellie before Jess walked away.

"I need coffee in a vat!" Someone yelled as they came in. Jess looked up to see the person he knew as Lorelai from watching the home videos before. "There she is. Grandma's girl." Lorelai said as she walked over to Ellie and picked her up.

"Bad day?" Luke asked as he poured her coffee.

"The only thing keeping me from killing someone is Ellie right now." Lorelai replied as she looked over at Jess. "And you must be Jess." She said with a smile. He just nodded. "I wanted to meet you before Luke had a chance to fill your head with a whole bunch of lies about me."

"Hi." He replied.

"You should meet my daughter…" Lorelai started to say before Luke cut her off.

"He already meet Rory." Luke chimed in.

"Oh meltdown in Doose's, you must be basket guy." Lorelai said as her face turned into a frown. "She isn't normally so crazy. It's been a hard year."

"So I have heard." Jess replied as he looked out the window to see Rory storming her way towards the diner. "So normally not crazy?" Jess whispered to Luke as Rory slammed the door. Luke just shrugged.

"That's it I am going to have to drop out." Rory said as she sat down at the counter with her mother. "I need coffee. In an IV preferably." She said as she looked at Luke. Luke just walked towards the coffee pot. "Wow, he didn't even fight me." Rory mumbled to her mother.

"Want to talk about what's wrong?" Lorelai asked.

"I thought things at Stars Hallow High would be easier than Chilton, but three people told me they were sorry. Two said "bless your heart". And one asked if I was happier without him. Then all I could think about was Ellie. She is so close to crawling and if I miss it I will be crushed." Rory said as Luke placed a cup of coffee in front of her. "Then I kept thinking about what was going on at Chilton. What those people were saying about the situation? I need to stop thinking. Okay you get the saw and cut my brain out of my head."

"Sweetie we can't do that, it would ruin your pretty face." Lorelai replied as she looked at her daughter. Rory just rolled her eyes as she took a drink of her coffee.

"Urg, I have to go." Rory said as she looked up at the clock on the wall. "Taylor said if I am late one more time he is going to dock my pay. Please there isn't enough to dock." Rory said as she got up. "Take my bag home for me?" She asked her mother.

"Sure thing doll." Lorelai said before Rory run out the diner for the second time in two days. "I worry about her. The daze of everything is wearing off and she … she isn't Rory anymore." Lorelai said as she looked at Luke. She was completely ignoring the fact that Jess was still standing right there.

"It's going to take time Lorelai." Luke replied.

"Hey I have an ideal." Lorelai said as a smile came over her face. "What are you two doing tonight?"

"Nothing why." Luke replied as he looked at her weird.

"Well, Sookie was going to come over for girl night, but I was thinking instead we have a party." Lorelai said with a smile.

"A party?" Luke asked as he looked at her like she had three heads.

"Yes, a party. A welcome Jess to Stars Hallow and cheer up Rory party. Sookie can bring Jackson. We can feast." Lorelai replied.

"Not going to win this am I?" Luke asked her.

"See you at seven." Lorelai said as she stood up. "Oh I can call Paris!" Lorelai yelled as she walked towards the door Ellie in one hand, Rory's bag in the other.

"What about the diaper bag?" Luke called after her.

"Bring it to dinner!" She yelled back. Jess just looked at Luke for a moment. Thinking about a way to ask about Lorelai and his relationship.

"Don't say anything." Luke said to him before he even opened his mouth. Jess just shook his head before he walked upstairs.

However, without a doubt Luke and Jess were standing on Lorelai's front porch at seven o'clock. "You're here. Well, come on in. Sookie is about to break her own record of the most food served outside of the Roman Empire." Lorelai said as she opened the door.

"Sounds good." Luke replied as he looked at Jess.

"Sure does." Jess replied as Luke pushed him into the living room. He walked over to the mantel where there were a dozen more pictures of Rory and Ellie. Yet, still the one that caught his eye was the one with Rory holding her daughter with the 'Welcome Home' sign in the background.

"Hey Jess you want to come into the kitchen?" Lorelai asked as she looked at him holding the picture. He just placed it back on the mantel and followed her into the kitchen. "Sookie, Jackson this is Luke's nephew Jess." He saw a larger woman who was smiling ear to ear and a farmer joe type standing by her.

"Do you eat cheese?" Sookie asked him.

"Do what?" He asked back shocked at the question. But, he didn't have to worry about looking stupid. Farmer Joe started acting like he was going to have a love affair with a lemon.

"Jackson grows fruit and then scares people with it." Lorelai replied with a smile before turning to look at the room behind them. "Rory they are here." She said before she walked away.

"Coming." Rory called as he looked into the small bedroom that was right off the kitchen. He saw Ellie sitting in a swing playing with a stuffed dog. Rory was sitting at the desk in front of the window facing the other way. "Hey." She said as she turned around to see Jess standing in the doorway. He was surprised that she smiled at him after the way she was at the diner.

"Wow aren't we hooked on phonics." He said as he walked in the room to see the large amount of books piled on to a bookshelf.

"Oh, I read a lot." She replied as she stood up and walked over towards him. "Do you read?" She asked him.

"Not much." He replied as he flipped through the pages.

"I could loan that to you if you want." She said as she reached down to pick up Ellie and the stuff animal she was playing with. "It's great."

"No thanks." He said as he sat it back down and walked towards her.

"Well if you change your mind." She replied as Ellie started to push her toy to Jess. "Oh sweetie I don't think Jess wants your puppy." Rory said as she looked at her daughter with a smile. Jess could tell he surprised her when he took the dog from the girl.

"Does the puppy have the name?" He asked as he looked at it.

"Mom calls it Paul Anka." Rory replied with a smile.

"You're mother scares me a bit." He replied before he turned the dog around so the face as facing Ellie. "Paul Anka is sad." He added as he looked at the baby. "He loves you so much. See he is even kissing you." Jess replied as he made the nose of the dog gently touch the little girls face. She just grabbed back on to the dog and smiled. "She sure is a happy baby."

"Yeah." Rory said as she looked at him.

"Oh we really need to get Jackson away from the lemons." Lorelai said as she peaked into the room. "So we are moving the feast into the living room."

"Be right there." Rory replied as she looked at her mother. "You should go on in." Rory said as she looked at Jess. "I have to change her diaper."

"Oh crap, we forgot the diaper bag. I can run back to the diner and get it." He offered as he looked at her.

"I will just get it tomorrow. There is nothing in there that we can't live without." Rory replied as she walked over to the changing table that she had stuck in the corner of the room.

"Here let me help you." He said as he followed her.

"Oh, I got this. I could never ask you to help." She replied as she smiled at him.

"You're not asking." He commented.

"You really want to help?" She asked him. He just nodded. "Go get some sodas and save some of the food from my mother. I will be out in a minute." She replied with a smile. He just walked out of the room and did what she asked him to. Once he got to the table he understood the 'save some of the food from my mother' comment. Lorelai had a plate the size of her head.

"Where's Rory?" Lorelai asked as Jess sat down at the table next to Luke and a crossed from the empty seat.

"Changing Ellie's diaper." He replied. "I offered to help, but.." He said as he let his words trail off.

"She won't let anyone help her if she can help it." Lorelai replied. "It's nothing personal." He just nodded as he started to fix himself a plate.

"So did you hear Taylor cancelled the bid-a-basket fundraiser?" Sookie asked trying to change the subject as Rory walked into the room.

"I don't even know why he postponed it in the first place." Rory chimed in as she sat down in the empty seat. Ellie in her hands.

"Well, I am pretty sure it had something to do with a very upset, very pregnant Lorelai Leigh Gilmore chucking a basket at his head." Lorelai replied as she smiled at her daughter. "Mommy has never been prouder." Rory's face turned red at her mother's words.

"Wait so your name is Lorelai too?" Jess asked her.

"Yeah." Rory replied.

"How many Lorelai Gilmore's are there?" He asked with a laugh.

"Four." Lorelai answered. "My grandmother, me, Rory, and Ellie."

"Wow." Jess replied.

"Men do it all the time." Rory said as she smirked at him. He just smiled at her as he tried to figure out what to say to that. She was so different than anyone he had ever met.

"Okay this isn't working. I am putting Ellie in her playpen." Lorelai said as she got up. "You need to eat." She said as she looked at her daughter's empty plate.

"Hey." Rory said as Lorelai took Ellie away from her.

"You can have the baby back after you eat something." Lorelai replied as she walked a crossed the room to the pink playpen. "Plus I did not spend money on this thing for you never to use it."

"I got that for her." Sookie replied as she looked at Lorelai.

"Fine Sookie didn't spend money on it for it to hold my shoes." Lorelai replied as she put the baby in it. "Look she looks happy. Now eat."

"Bossy much?" Rory asked as she started to put some mashed potatoes on her plate.

"Well, I gave birth to you so I can be. Plus, you had that huge head." Lorelai said as she sat back down.

"Hey!" Rory squealed as she looked at her mother.

"What you had it easy, you just had to push out that little six pound thing. Me however not so lucky, you were nine pounds." Lorelai replied.

"Okay new topic please." Luke said as he looked like he was going to puke.

"Oh come on you aren't still scared of children are you?" Rory asked him.

"No." He replied.

"Oh I get it you don't like the ideal of childbirth." Lorelai replied as he smiled at him. "Luke it's only natural. You know we have a book somewhere around here that will explain it to you. It has pictures to. Which is probably would be better than showing the video of Rory's birth because it would be a stranger's parts so you wouldn't be uncomfortable." Lorelai said as she watched Luke's face turn more and more red. It was clearly a game for her.

"I am going to get another beer. Anyone need anything?" Luke asked as he got up.

"My youth back." Lorelai replied with a laugh. He just rolled his eyes as he walked away.

"You have to love this family." Rory said with a laugh.

"Family?" Jess asked.

"Well, Luke and Sookie have been in my life since I was a child. They are family." She replied. That explained the father's day gift.

"Babe turn on some music." Lorelai said as she looked over at her daughter. Rory just got up and turned on the cd player that sat on the end table behind them.

"Is this ABBA?" Jess asked with a laugh as Rory sat back down.

"It's Rory's." Lorelai replied as she frowned. "I haven't been able to make it disappear since her father got it for her." That was the first time Jess had heard anything about Rory's father. He just assumed that he wasn't present in her life.

"Ellie likes it too. Good dancing music." Rory said as she looked at her mother.

"You like to dance?" Jess asked as he looked at her.

"In the private of my own home with no one watching… yeah." She replied with a laugh. He just nodded and smiled at her. The rest of the dinner seemed to fly by as the group continued more mindless conversation. Somehow after dinner he ended up sitting on the front porch as the adults talked in the kitchen. Rory had disappeared into her room with Ellie a bit before that. "Hey there you are." She said as she came out of the front door.

"Yep. Put her in bed?" He asked figuring that was what she did. She just nodded as she sat down on the swing next to him.

"So, what's the verdict still hate it here?" She asked as she smiled at him.

"I think this place might not be that bad." He replied as he smiled back at her.

"That's nice to hear." Rory replied. "I need someone around who can put up all my craziness." She said with a laugh.

"What craziness? Every girl I know throws plates at trees." He replied.

"Oh I bet. They must have to look long and hard for a tree that can put up with the pressure in that concrete jungle known as New York." She replied with a smile. Luke must have told her that he was from New York. Luke and her were apparently close after all.

"Hey we have trees in New York." He replied as she glared at him for a moment. "Fine we have Central Park isn't that enough?" He asked.

"I guess." She said softly as she pulled her knees up to her chest.

"So what's the deal with the plates?" He asked her.

"They raise money for the grief center." She replied. "I can channel my feelings into them and then use them to help others. Plus, I tend to go there a lot to. Shocker right." She said with a chuckle.

"So fifteen dollars?" He asked as he thought about how nice it was for her to want to help others. After everything she had been through she had the right to only think about herself and that little girl. Yet, she didn't. "I will take two." He finished.

"I have a better ideal." She said as she got up. "Come on, follow me." She said as she looked at him. She led him into the garage. "Sit here." She said as she pulled out the chair that was sitting next to the desk. He just did as she said. He looked at all the paints that were sitting on the table for a moment before she laid a white plate in front of him. "Make your own." She replied as she smiled at him. "Being uprooted can't be easy." She said as she pulled a chair across the room and placed a plate on the corner of the desk as she sat down next to it.

"I have never been good at arts and crafts." He said as he looked at her.

"Just turn off your mind and let your heart handle this." She replied as she grabbed a paint brush. 'Turn off your mind' He thought as he picked up a paint brush. It can't be that hard. He looked over at her as she put swirls on her plate. 'What is in my heart?' he asked himself before he realized that it was her. He just picked a blue paint and started to put his feelings on the plate.

"Hey you ready to go?" Luke asked about an hour later as he stood in the doorway. Jess just nodded as he got up making sure to grab his plate.

"Tonight was fun." Rory said to him before he walked away. The whole way home he wished that she didn't see what he put on his plate.

"You are getting into this deep." Luke said as he looked at the blue eyes that were hidden in a mess of trees with hearts as clouds on the plate that Jess sat on the kitchen counter. "You couldn't have had your Romeo and Juliet love at first sight moment with any other girl in town?" Luke asked him.

"Rory's special." Is all he said before he laid down on the bed and thought about Rory. He reached into his back pocket and pulled out the book that he swiped from her room earlier. It was one of his favorites. As he read it again he carefully wrote notes in the margins for her. That way he was prepared for the next time that he ran into Rory Gilmore. Which happened to be the next afternoon as she came out of Doose's Market. "Hey." He said as he walked up to her.

"Hey yourself." She said as she looked at him.

"What are you doing out here? And without Ellie." He asked as they walked down the street.

"I need something for school. My mom has Ellie, she's showing her off to everyone at Weston's." Rory replied as she looked at him.

"Me too. The school thing." He said as he looked at her.

"You need to get better at lying." She replied as she looked at him. "I know that you haven't actually started school yet." She said as she noticed him playing with a quarter. "What are you doing?" She asked him.

"Oh this nothing." He said before he made the quarter disappear. "Just a little disappearing act."

"Little tip." She said as she looked at him.

"Yeah." He replied.

"If you ever want to talk to me again, don't pull that out of my ear." She said with a smile.

"So, I assume the nose is off limits too." He replied.

"Anywhere you normally wouldn't find a coin." She said softly. "Let's leave it that way."

"So, what are you doing now?" He asked.

"I have some homework to finish." She replied as they started to walk again.

"Okay then I will leave you this last little trick." He said as he pulled the book out of his back pocket.

"You bought a copy, I told you I would loan you mine." She said as he held the book out for her.

"It is yours." He said as he looked at it.

"You stole my book." She replied.

"Nope borrowed it." He said hoping that she would see this differently once she saw the notes.

"Okay, that's not called a trick. It's called a felony." She said as looked at him.

"I just wanted to put some notes in the margins for you." He said.

"What?" She said as she took the book from him and opened it up. "You've read this before." She said as she looked at the book then at him.

"About forty times." He replied.

"I thought you said you didn't read much?" She asked him.

"Well, what is much?" He asked as he started to walk away. "Goodbye Rory." He said as he turned to look at her.

"Goodbye Dodger." She replied as she looked at the book.

"Dodger?" He asked as he stopped in his tracks and looked at her.

"Figure it out." She said as she started to walk away.

"Oliver Twist!" He called after her. She just smiled and nodded at him unknowing at the time that she took his heart with her as she walked away. Luke was right he was getting into this deep, but he wasn't ready to let go. It was the first time in his life anything ever felt right.


	4. Chapter 4

The weeks passed by quickly before Jess knew it he was adjusting well to life in Stars Hallow. Although it was weird going to a school that says The Pledge of Allegiance in six different languages, but somehow it all didn't seem bad. "Okay is it me or are the girls in this school getting dumber?" Rory asked him as she sat down a crossed from him at the lunch table.

"I don't think that's possible. Why are you grumpy?" He asked as he watched her pull her hair up.

"You will understand one day when you have a six month old baby." She answered as she started to dig through her bag. "Here for you." She said as she handed him a book.

"The complete work of Bernard Shaw." Jess said as he read the title of the book.

"Trust me." She replied. "So, did you hear about the latest Gilmore craziness?" She asked as she looked down at her tray.

"The last I heard Lorelai had wanted to paint the house purple." He replied as he smiled at her.

"No this is weirder than that. My grandparents made us walk around the house and put post-it notes on everything we want to get in the will." Rory corrected with a laugh. "Everything we didn't claim is going to go to Ellie."

"Poor Ellie gets all the rejects." He said softly.

"She gets the house, so it's even." Rory replied as she looked up at him. "Trade me lunches?" She asked as she pushed her slice of pizza towards him.

"I am just going to start bringing two sandwiches." He replied as he pushed his lunch towards her.

"That would be a smart move. Or you could stop giving in to me." She said as she picked up the sandwich.

"Haven't you heard it impossible not to give into a Gilmore girl?" He asked laughing as her thought about the conversation he had with Lorelai the day before.

_She had come busting into the diner like always. "Jess what are you doing on Saturday?" She asked as she sat down at the counter. _

"_Working." He replied as he whipped down the counter. _

"_Wrong. You're taking Rory out so we can set up her surprise birthday party." Lorelai said as she smiled up at him. He didn't even know that her birthday was coming up._

"_And what makes you think that she will go with me?" He asked her. _

"_God you are clueless, she is falling for you. She would follow you to the damn moon if you asked her to. So, you take her out Saturday." Lorelai replied. _

"_What makes you think that I am willing to?" He asked her. _

"_Because it's impossible to say no to a Gilmore Girl." She said with a laugh. _

"So, Babette was telling me about this Al's Pancake World and apparently it is the best place in town to get Chinese food." He said as he looked at her.

"Yeah, it is. Is there a point to this conversation?" Rory asked him.

"I wanted to know if you wanted to go there on tomorrow with me." He said as he looked down.

"Tomorrow … who asked you to do this? It was Luke wasn't it?" She asked him.

"I have no clue what you are talking about." He replied.

"I was just planning on hunting down bookstores in Hartford on tomorrow. Sorry." She said as she looked at him.

"Mind if I come? There really isn't much of a selection around here." He replied.

"I will meet you at Luke's at nine." She answered with a smile before she looked up at the clock.

"Question, when Ellie starts dating are you going to be the crazy mother sitting in the back of the theater?" He asked her.

"And you will be the friend I call detailing every moment as I freak out." She replied with a smile.

"So, I'll be your Luke?" He asked her.

"You'll be my Luke." She replied before she took a bite of the sandwich.

He woke up the next morning to the sound of a balloon popping. He looked over to see Luke tying three balloons to a salt shaker. "You know you can buy those already blown up now right?" He asked as he got up.

"Its tradition, just can it okay." Luke replied as he headed to the apartment door.

"She's going to be here at nine." He added before he watch Luke leave the apartment.

"What happened to nine?" Luke asked Jess at nine thirty when he looked at the clock after looking over at the table with balloons and her birthday coffee cake.

"She said nine." He said as he looked out the window. He watched for a few minutes before a jeep pulled up in front of the diner. He watched as Rory got out and then took Ellie out of the backseat.

"Sorry I am late; I had to move the fridge." She said as came in the diner. She just looked over at the balloons and smiled. "Luke, you made me birthday coffee cake. You didn't have to do that." She said as she looked at Luke.

"Its tradition." Luke mumbled before going into the back.

"So, what is this about having to move the fridge?" Jess asked as he sat down with her at the table.

"Oh, right Ellie tossed her binky and then mom unknowingly kicked it under the fridge so I had to move the fridge to get it." Rory replied as she looked at the coffee cake. "Can you like stash this upstairs? I'm not all that hungry." She said as she looked at Jess.

"Yep." He replied as he got up. "Need anything else?" He asked her.

"Nope, I will meet you in the car. I have to run and get my check from Taylor before he holds it another day." She replied as she got up.

"I'll take Ellie, you go get your check." He said as he smiled at her. He just watched as she walked out of the diner. He didn't know what the day was going to bring, but he had a feeling it was going to be good.


	5. Chapter 5

In life there are a handful of truly perfect moments that each person gets to experience. For Jess Mariano one of those perfect moments forever will be sitting there in a small Hartford coffee shop. The woman that he couldn't help, but to fall in love with was sitting a crossed from him looking over the back cover of one of the books she had gotten earlier that day. The little blue eyed baby that was able to unfreeze his heart with her smile was sitting on his lap just smiling up at him as he watched her with one eye and her mother with the other. He was too scared to miss any part of that perfect moment if he looked away just for a second.

Throughout his life he never really felt like he was part of a family. Sure he had his mother, but she always had someone else who seemed to matter more. But, sitting there with the youngest two of the Gilmore girls he as if this is where he was meant to be. Was it possible that fate would bring him to them knowing that were missing something just like he was? He could love these two forever, but for that to actually happen Rory would have to want him in their lives for the rest of time. And he wasn't sure how she felt about that. It felt she was feeling the same way he was at times. Then came that comment that left him confused. "You'll be my Luke." How was he supposed to take that? He wanted to be more than her Luke. He didn't want to sit around for the rest of his life loving those girls with his whole heart as he sits on the sidelines waiting forever for her to see that they were for each other. He could see the effects it had on Luke and it wasn't pretty. Could he play it cool like Luke did, if Rory ever got engaged? He didn't want to know the pain that would come from watching another man be in their lives the way he is supposed to be. But, on the other hand he could see the sweetness behind the comment. Rory loved Luke, he was her father in every possible way but one. It didn't matter to either of them that his sperm didn't help create her. He was there for her like a father should be since she was barely older than Ellie. He was the one who tried with no success to teach her how to ride a bike. He was the one who sat up all night with Lorelai when she had the chicken pocks. He was the one that chased Tristan down in the middle of the street and put him into a headlock for getting her pregnant. He was the one that she ran to for comfort when her whole world was falling apart. He could be that person for Ellie. He would love to be Ellie's Luke, but in his heart he would always want more.

"So what time are you supposed to have us back?" Rory asked him with a chuckle causing him to snap back to reality. He just thought for a moment about what to say. He knew he was supposed to have both of them back at Lorelai's at six for the party, but he wasn't supposed to tell her anything about it. He hated lying to her even when it was something so silly. "Don't worry you weren't the one who spilled the beans. It was pretty obvious when Sookie brought enough ice to build an igloo the size of the house this morning."

He just smiled for a moment before looking into her blue eyes and replying. "Six." Softly.

"I should have figured Lorelai was up to something." She replied with a laugh. "Last year was the only year she didn't do anything big for my birthday. She was still getting over the shock." She said as she looked down at Ellie.

"Ah." He replied.

"Yeah, it was just about the time that everyone in town was figuring out what was going on. And there was a big fight with my grandparents because Robert DuGrey told them before we did. It was just a big mess." She replied as she got up. "We probably should get going." She said as she smiled at him.

"Yeah, we have to stop at the diner before I take you home." He replied as she got up.

"Let me guess they have Ms. Patty waiting in the diner to call and give a heads up?" She asked with a laugh.

"No smart ass, I have to get your present." He replied as they got into the car.

"Tiny ears around." She said as she looked at Ellie.

"I am sorry you are a smart butt, better?" He asked with a laugh.

"Perfect." She replied softly.

When he pulled up to the Gilmore house he was surprised a little by how many people were crowding into the small house. But, he knew it was just because Rory had touched everyone in this town in some way. Sitting back watching as every took their turn to wish her happy birthday he just smiled. Yet, somehow he found himself sitting outside on the front porch swing.

"She is lucky to have you. She loves you, you know. She is just too scared to admit it." A man said to him as he took it upon himself to sit down next to Jess. Jess just looked at him for a moment. "She has only ever been in love once before and she was so young when she meet Tristan. And then you have Ellie. She needs someone in her life that can be a father to that little girl. A real father. Someone who won't mess up as much as I did."

"So your Rory's father?" Jess asked as he looked at the man. He could see her in him a little.

"Yeah, and you are Jess. She hasn't been able to stop talking about you since you two met." He said as he looked at Jess. "Don't let this slip away." The man said before he got up and walked away. Jess just sat there for a second thinking about what he had said. He thought about if he really had a chance to make things work with Rory.

"Not much of a party person?" He heard her ask before she sat down next to him. He just smiled as he looked at her.

"I guess not. Who has Ellie?" He asked as he looked down at the ground.

"My mom is trying to convince her that she is old enough to eat cake." She replied with a laugh. "So far she just likes to put her fingers in the icing." He sat there trying to put words together. But, he just looked into her big blue eyes. He just thought about how long Luke had waited for Lorelai. He just thought about the words that her father said to him before leaving. He wasn't going to be able to just let go. He wasn't going to let this slip away. It was worth too much not to try.

"Rory … I think I love you." He spat out as he stared at her. Her eyes just went wide.

"You think?" She asked after a moment of silence.

"No." He said as he thought about what he said. He didn't think. He knew that he loved her. He knew that from day one. She just looked down before he realized what message he was sending. "I mean no I don't think. I know. I know I love you." He said softly as he looked at her.

"Don't hurt me." She whispered before she hugged him.

"I would never dream of it." He replied as she pulled back. A smile came over her face and before she knew it his lips gently brushed hers.

"We probably should get back in there. There are a bunch of people sitting around eating my face off cake as they tell really embarrassing stories about me and pass around my child." She said as she looked at him.

"Let's go save Ellie." He said as he got up and offered her his hand.

"She has already been corrupted. You do realize that." She said with a laugh as she led him into the house.

"One can hope." He replied softly as he smiled at her.


	6. Chapter 6

"I know you're too young to understand a lot of this." He whispered as he looked at the baby that was sitting in front of him in her high chair. "But, I just want you to know that I love your mom a whole lot and I am pretty sure that she feels the same way about me. You're probably wondering why I am telling you this. See you are the most important person to her and your pretty high up there on my list too. You and her are tied for first place in my book. I just want to make sure you are on the same page with this whole thing." He just paused as he watched her for a moment. "I just want you to be happy. My dad wasn't there for me either. He wasn't ready to be a father or something like that. Anyways, my mother would always bring home these guys I just hated. You don't hate me right?" He asked as he looked at the little girl who just smiled at him as she reached out her arms for him to pick her up. "I guess that's a pretty good answer." He said as he got up and picked her up. He just walked around the Gilmore's kitchen with her for a moment. Rory was getting ready for her Friday night dinner with her grandparents which gave him the time to have this little moment with Ellie. It wasn't often that he got to spend time with her alone. "You know Christmas is coming up." He said as he looked at the child in his arms. "I know you probably have no clue what that is, but you get presents then. I bet you want a pony, isn't that what every little girl wants?" He asked her before he heard someone chuckle from behind him. He turned around to see Rory standing in the doorway of her bedroom smiling at the sight of him and Ellie.

"I don't know if she is ready for a pony yet." Rory replied as she walked over to the two of them. "Maybe we should start her off with something smaller. Maybe a rabbit." She said with a smile as she cuddled up next to his side and looked down at her little girl. "You know you don't have to come tonight if you don't want to." She said as she walked towards the table.

"Nonsense, your grandparents asked to meet me. It would make me look bad if I didn't come." He replied as he followed behind her towards the door.

"No it would make you look like a teenage boy with more to do than have dinner with my mother." Lorelai said as she came running down the stairs. "Then again neither of you two are normal teenagers." He just rolled his eyes as he watched Rory put her coat on before putting Ellie's little pink cost on her. "I don't know how that child can be so happy doesn't she realize we are stepping into the lion's den?" She asked as she opened the door up.

"You are such a drama queen." Rory replied as she walked out behind her mother.

"Sorry, but you aren't even going to this school anymore, so why the hell am I still spending Friday nights hearing about how bad a mother I am?" Lorelai asked. He didn't say anything just wrapped an arm around Rory leading her to the jeep. Chiltion was a hard subject, he knew that. She would still be the top student at the top school in Hartford if she didn't get pregnant. Not that she would even think about going back there without Tristan. She told him how she didn't fit in with the people there. The entitled punks whose daddy's were buying their diplomas is how she often described them. So, he just kept his mouth shut the whole way to Hartford.

"Just to warn you I don't think that Grandpa has been able to look me in the eyes since I told him about Ellie." Rory whispered to Jess as they got the baby out of her car seat. He just nodded as he smiled at his girls. He loved the fact that they were his girls now. He didn't even care that having them meant dressing up staring up at a house that had to cost more than every apartment building he ever lived in combined. He had never been to around people who had a maid answer the door before, but as he looked over at his girls he knew it was worth it. Her grandparents were everything he expected them to be. They acted nice enough, but a hint of we are better than you followed them around.

"I can't believe how much that little girl is starting to look like her father." Emily said as she took Ellie from Rory. Rory's half smile turned into a frown. He wasn't sure if it was the comment or the lack of contact with the child that caused it, but he just placed his arm around her. "She is going to be a heartbreaker. Yes you are." Emily added as she looked at the baby. "Those blue eyes and blonde hair…" She was cut off by her daughter.

"We get it mom, she's beautiful." Lorelai replied coldly as she looked at her mother before glancing over at Jess and Rory.

"It's a shame that she won't have a father." Richard mumbled from across the room. He was hoping that no one was going to bring the conversation to that point. He knew in his heart that little girl was going to have a father. What did it matter if it was him and not the guy whose name was written on her birth certificate?

"It's not like it was with Chris." Lorelai snapped as she stared down her father. "Tristan is dead. No one could have seen that coming. He wanted to be here for that child more than anything." Rory just dropped her head on Jess's shoulder. He could feel her tears soaking through his shirt. He didn't know what caused him to open his mouth. By that point he was passed thinking.

"They have me." He said as he looked at Richard. He didn't pay attention to the faces around him. Her blue eyes had all of his attention in that moment. "I am not going anywhere." He said as he looked in her eyes moving her air behind her ear.


	7. Chapter 7

He smiled as he watched Rory place a sleeping Ellie into her crib. Even if the night was hell, there was nothing that could ever take him away from them. "She is so peaceful when she is like this." Rory mumbled as she looked down at the sleeping child. "Does it bother you? The way she looks like Tristan?" She asked him as she sat down on her bed looking up at him. He thought she had lost her mind now. Then he realized it did hurt a little that she wasn't his in the biological sense. Sure he would love to have a little baby with black hair and those blue eyes, but nothing would ever make him feel like Ellie wasn't his. Definitely not the color of her hair.

"She's perfect Rory, blonde hair and all." He said as he sat down next to her. "I realize that Tristan will always be a part of your lives and I don't mind that. I just know that I want to be there too. I want to be here for you two more than anything in the world." He moved his hand to wipe the tears from her face.

"Jess." She said softly as she looked down at her lap. "I just want you to know that if it was reversed I would have done the same thing." She said as she looked up at him. "If you walked into this town with a baby on your hip carrying a ton of emotional baggage … I would have opened up my heart the way you did. Because you are something special." She mumbled to him. He thought for a moment about what it would have been like if it was reversed. He thought about a little baby with dark curls and brown eyes smiling up at Rory. He thought about how much he wished he could fully show her how Ellie and her had captured his heart. He thought about the last words out of her mouth. He was something special to her. Just like she was something special to him. "I have done a lot of thinking about this." She said bringing him out of her thought. "I know that you are all in when it comes to us. I know that everyone else is unsure about this. My mother seems to think that you are going to bolt once it all becomes too much. But, I don't think you will. I think all the time about how perfect of a family we could make. The three of us. I think about when Ellie starts to talk. How much I want her to be able to call you daddy. I don't see that as betraying Tristan. You're probably going to think I am crazy, but in a way I think that Tristan had a part in sending you here to us. Things were so bad after the accident. I know that I tried to act like I could handle it on my own, but I am just a child. I was drowning in my life. Then you come and you have that smile and that sweet heart. You don't run from us like the plague. You wanted to help, you wanted to be involved in our lives. I watched as you fell in love with the both of us. I could see it in your eyes … even before you finally admitted it. The more time I spend with you. The more I realize that you were heaven sent … the more I want my daughter to grow up with you as a father. My dad wasn't there for me as a child. He was a biological father, but it wasn't half the father you try to be to Ellie. And you will never know how much that means to me. And I know I am just rambling here, but what I am trying to say is if you are still all in … so are we." She said as she looked at him. His mind was racing. It was a lot to process. He knew that her mother thought he was too involved in Ellie's life. He heard the fight they had in her grandparents study before dinner. Her mother didn't think that he was committed to them … that he was good enough for them. After all he had been sent here because he was getting into trouble. Trouble … the word almost made him laugh. Everyone in town made it seem like he was knocking off liquor stores. In reality he skipped a some days of school and got caught with a beer. Nothing life shattering. But, Liz being the mother she was just couldn't handle it. So, here he was. And he never loved Liz and her bad parenting skills so much. He thanked Liz. She thanked Tristan. It seemed like a good reasoning. She was in pain and her lost love sent her someone perfectly made for her. If he did then he owed Tristan more than he could ever imagine. But, part of him just wanted to say it was fate. And he knew where she was coming from about her father. His father ran off the day he was born, never to be heard from again. He thought about his conversation with Chris. He could be a real father to Ellie. He could be like Luke. He could love Rory like she deserved to be. So, hell yeah he was all in.

"I'm still all in; no disaster of a dinner party could change that." He said as he smiled at her. He just sat there with her looking over at the crib that held the sleeping child. He just sat there thinking about their future. Ellie with her blonde hair flowing in the wind as she ran around a big back yard smiling at him. He can picture her tugging on his pants saying something like "Daddy pick me up." He just would spin around with her in her arms to look over at Rory. He pictured her sitting on a porch swing holding another small child. This one was like the one he thought before. His dark curls and her blue eyes, the perfect blend of the two of them. He could picture her with a growing stomach again. He had saw pictures of when she was pregnant with Ellie. She looked like an angel, not at all like the whale she compared herself too. Something in him told him that maybe one day he would get to see her that way in person. They made good parents, so why stop with the angel sleeping across to room.

"What are you thinking about?" She asked him softly.

"Our family." He replied as he wrapped his arms around her pulling her closer to him. Nothing in his life had ever felt more right. He just looked over at the picture of Tristan that rested above Ellie's crib. Silently he thanked him for giving him his girls. He knew how much it would hurt to have to leave these two.


End file.
